On Sunday, September 28, Twenty One Pilots made a spectacular return to Pittsburgh. This was the band’s first time playing at Star Lake Pavilion in Burgettstown, as their latest tour has stops only in outdoor venues, as opposed to their usual arena shows. Twenty One Pilots is Tyler Joseph, the duo’s singer, pianist and bassist, and drummer, Josh Dun. The tour supports their newly released album, “Breach,” which debuted on September 12. You’d never guess that their fans had only a couple of weeks to learn the new songs, as the crowd loudly and energetically sang along to each of the new tracks, including “Garbage” and “Tally.”
The concert was scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m., but the opening band, Dayglow, started their set 15 minutes early. Dayglow is fronted by the creative force that is Sloan Struble. He is a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer. Their heartfelt and authentic performance was indie pop magic. Fans of Twenty One Pilots, one of the most notoriously dedicated fan bases of modern music, seemed really engaged with the opening act, despite being ready for their favorite headliner.
Just shy of 9:00 p.m., Joseph’s voice called out from the speakers, “What’s your ETA?” to which the crowd rallied, “Two minutes!” This is a line from their song “Midwest Indigo” and was a great way to get the crowd ready for an explosive show! For close to two hours, the band performed songs that spanned every album and every era in the lore they have been building for the last decade. “Breach” is the conclusion to that story, and whether you are an old fan or a new one, there was something to love for everyone.
A favorite moment for me was when Joseph told the crowd he ‘didn’t like our little mascot,’ as he held up his hand for the camera and crowd to see that he was holding an invasive spotted lanternfly. He then dramatically squished the insect, which made the Western PA fans in particular cheer, leading Joseph to say, “You’re bloodthirsty tonight.”
The visuals and lights from the main stage were captivating, but the band also ensured that fans on the lawn had an unforgettable concert experience. Both Joseph and Dun took turns playing on the B stage just at the front of the lawn section, where they lit fire to a car, a callback to earlier songs “Jumpsuit” and “Heavydirtysoul.” Unique to this tour was the setup of the Bandito Camp, an interactive exhibit on the lawn featuring memorabilia for fans to view before the show and a flag stitched with the venue’s town name, which fans could sign. On one return trip to the main stage, Dun lit a torch and gathered the flag, symbolizing the torchbearers, which are a huge part of the lore. He stoically made his way back while fans cheered, and then draped the fully signed Burgettstown flag across his drum set. It was easy to feel yourself become part of something bigger, a true sense of community built on the love of music.
Another highlight was when Joseph snagged a young fan from the crowd and asked him to join him on stage to sing. Drew was given a microphone and headphones and helped finish the hit song “Ride.” When the song was over, everyone was chanting “Drew, Drew, Drew!” in support. Again, an example of the closeness of the fans and their love for the band and what they stand for.
Joseph did joke (kind of) that the concert was behind because the venue had trouble getting fans into the parking areas and ultimately to their seats on time. This is a notorious problem for the pavilion. With high-volume concerts such as this one, fans are encouraged to get to the venue really early. Some concert goers posted on social media that they sat on the exit ramp leading to venue parking for more than an hour, cutting it close to 9:00 p.m. Getting back out of the parking lot after a show is usually a similar story, but at least for these fans, they might have been too deep in the post-concert euphoria to care.
This short 21-stop tour will be the last shows for the band for the foreseeable future, not counting some festivals next year. The duo will be taking a well-deserved break after years of non-stop touring and promotion. No doubt, their fans will be ready and waiting for the next chapter in their musical story! You can check out social media for Twenty One Pilots and stream all their albums from here.